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This Week’s Apple Rumors, Ranked From Dumbest to Most Plausible

New reports suggest that a revamped version of Apple’s set top box won’t arrive until 2015.

Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

Each week, there are dozens of rumors, reports, and patent filings that hint at what’s coming out of Cupertino next. Some are legit, but many are totally bogus. As always, we’ve parsed the rumors, ranking them in order from "utterly ridiculous" to "duh, of course." First up…

DON’T COUNT ON IT: Rear Housing of iPhone Caught on VideoI really hope these purported leaked videos of the next iPhone aren’t for real because they are pretty gosh darn ugly (and the chances that a page view-hungry YouTube star gets their hands on actual pre-production iPhone part? Yeahhhhh…).

DON’T COUNT ON IT: Yields Too Low for Apple to Use Sapphire for iPhone 6 DisplayMarket research firm Trendforce posits that based on a lack of sapphire display shipments, the next iPhone’s release will either be delayed, or won’t include sapphire after all. Apple often sees low yields for new production techniques, like when it first produced the Retina display for iPad. I’d expect supplies to be low at the outset, but could catch up closer to demand near the holiday season or new year.

DON’T COUNT ON IT: Leaked Circuit Board Indicates NFC in Next iPhoneThe NFC rumors have been at an all time high for this year’s iPhone, but it really doesn’t make sense to include this technology considering Apple has built its own alternative in Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi technology. NoWhereElse.fr claims a photo of an iPhone 6 circuit board shows that it will include NFC, but I’m still not convinced.

ASK AGAIN LATER: Apple Support Page Leaks Hint at Upcoming ProductsEarlier this week, listings for a mid-2014 Mac Mini and mid-2014 27-inch iMac popped up on Apple’s support pages, both of which have since been removed. While the listings could be a result of human error (perhaps they meant “Mid 2014 MacBook Pro”), it’s also likely that they could have been added to the support page erroneously early, prior to a launch later this year.

ASK AGAIN LATER: iPhone to Land October 14 as Part of ‘Busy’ Month for AppleAccording to a report out of Macrumors, consumers won’t be able to get their hands on Apple’s next iPhone until October 14, close to a month after the date most previous reports (and historical patterns) have suggested. Some reports postulate that a 4.7-inch model iPhone could launch in September, while a larger 5.5-inch phablet wouldn’t launch until October, though.

SIGNS POINT TO YES: New Apple TV Set Top Box Not Arriving Until 2015New reports suggest that a revamped version of Apple’s set top box won’t arrive until 2015. Apple continues to add new partners and channels to its set top box offerings. But as for hardware and a radical new experience, the company seems to be taking its time before issuing an update.

WITHOUT A DOUBT: Apple Laying Off Beats Employees Following Acquisition9to5Mac reports that a number of redundant staffing positions are being eliminated at Beats' Southern California headquarters following its acquisition in May. This is what happens in most company acquisitions and mergers, and Apple also confirmed the layoffs, saying it would work to find some employees with overlapping positions “another permanent job within Apple.”